Amalgamator.



PATENTED MAY I2, 1908.

P. ASHFORD. AMALGAMATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.13. 1906.

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UNITED STATES FREDERICK BEE SANFORD, OF NORTH YAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

AMALGAMATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Application filed September 13, 1906. Serial No. 334,423.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK B. SAN- FORD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of North Yakima, in the county of Yakima andState of Washington, have invented a new and Improved Amalgamator, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has for its primary object to provide means for treatingauriferous -wash by gravity unaided by mechanical force, and Withoutreducing the ores to a finely pulverized pulp, as is necessary with thedevices now in common use. This is accomplished by means of a receptaclehaving a closed dividing cone formed centrally in the bottom thereof,and extending into a feed cylinder so as to divide the wash and deliverit by gravity pressure below the surface of a body of mercury placedwithin the receptacle in the manner more particularly illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which drawings like characters of referenceindicate like parts throughout the views, and in which Figure 1 is avertical central section of an amalgamator embodying my invention; andFig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, a stationary receptacle 1 is providedwith a central.

cone 2 extending upward .from the bottom of the receptacle, preferablyconcave in outline, and having a closed upper end or dividing point 2aprojecting into the interior of the body 3 of a feed cylinder. The lowerend of said cylinder which extends into the receptacle 1 is formed witha flaring flange 4 making the end ofthe cylinder bell-mouthed, so as toconform in outline to the cone and the bottom of the receptacle, andforming a vertically inclined tween the cone and the flaring end of thecylinder, thereby allowing the material within the cylinder to bedivided and evenly proj ected into a body of mercury at the bottom ofthe receptacle. The fiange 4 of the cylinder also serves to help supportpart of the material within the receptacle, and to prevent said materialfrom packing and obstructing the free passage of the material from thecylinder into the mercury at the bottom of the receptacle. By such meansthe material discharged through the feed cylinder is projected into thereceptacle beyond annular passage-way be-v the wall of the cylinder andthoroughly diffused with the mercury.

The lower end of the cylinder is held freely within the interior of thereceptacle by means of supports 5 attached at one end to the receptacle,and provided on their upper end with nuts 5a arranged preferably aboveand below lugs 3a formed on the cylinder 3, whereby the feed cylindermay be adjusted relatively to the receptacle 1 and vary the width of thepassage way between the cone 2 and the lower end 4 of the feed cylinder,as may be desired. The wash may be fed directly into the feed cylinder3, or if desired an auxiliary section or elbow 6 may be attached to thefeed cylinder by means of an off-set flange 3b engaging the end of theauxiliary section, and tie bolts 7 passing through lugs 3C and 6a formedon the feed and auxiliary cylinders and provided with clamping nuts 7a.A pressure feed may be attached to the device, if desired, in casesWhere the water supply is limited and insufficient for sluicingpurposes. This device is preferably constructed of a conical hood 8extending around the cone 2 of the receptacle, and spaced therefrom bymeans of bolts 8a by which the hood is attached to the cone. The upperend of said hood is attached to a pipe 9 adapted to be connected in anysuitable manner to a water supply.

By means of this construction, auriferous wash, sand, gravel or othersoluble matter may be assed from the sluice box into the feed cylinder3, from whence the material passes through the lower bell-mouthed end ofthe feed chamber into the bottom' of the receptacle 1, where it becomessubmerged in agsuitable quantity of mercury and diffused therewith bygravity alone following the lines of the outer surface of the cone 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An amalgamator comprising a stationary receptacle provided with acentral closed cone, a conical hood surrounding said cone and spacedtherefrom, a water supply pipe connected with said hood, and a feedcylinder having an outwardly flaring lower end inclosing said cone andhood, and spaced therefrom. k1 2. An amalgamator comprising a stationaryreceptacle provided with a central closed cone, a conical hood inclosingsaid cone and spaced therefrom, a water supply 1pipe connecting withsaid hood, a feed tube aving an outwardly flaring lower end inclosingsaid cone and hood7 and spaced therefrom to form a passage way, andadjusting mechanism connected with said receptacle and feed tube adaptedto raise and lower said tube and vary the width of the passage waybetween the feed tube and receptacle.

3. In an amalgamator, the combination of a receptacle provided with afree u per edge and a closed central cone, a feed cyillnder inclosingsaid cone and provided on its lower end with a flaring flange conformingin outline to that of the cone and spaced therefrom two subscribingwitnesses.

so as to form a vertically inclined annular passage-way between the coneand lower end of the cylinder, terminating beyond the body portion ofthe cylinder7 and means for adjusting said cylinder verticallyrelatively to said receptacle and varying the width of said passage-way.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of FREDERICK BEE SANFORD.

Witnesses:

BURTON E. BENNETT, VIRGIL N. BOGUE.

